Pours a dark amber orange with a small foamy white head that fades to a white ring. Aroma is spicy yeast with a small faint oak. Taste is much like the non barrelled. Starts spicy in the front, with a faint sweetness from the malt. But there is a dryness that comes from the oak that warms the mouth. Thanks to jercraigs for this.

July 6, 2012 - with blankboy, gregclow, jercraigs, mabel & tupalev. Bomber c/o gregclow. Cloudy gold with a smallish but lasting tight fizzy off-white slightly rocky head. Smells like the non-barrel version - vaguely fruity sweet, floral, plenty of yeast and soft spice, a little tart and grassy. Taste - much better - floral and grassy, not much alcohol, a very appropriate and welcome addition of sweet oakiness - nice, very soft. Average body, airy, just a little funky in the finish, quite dry and no build-up on the palate - very nice one.

Bottle [650ml] shared with HogTownHarry, tupalev, GregClow, jerc & mabel -- c/o GregClow. Pours a hazy orange-amber with an average size diminishing frothy off-white head. Aroma, like the non-barrel-aged version, is sugary sweet, fruity and grainy along with some bready malt. Flavour’s fruity and malty along with grain and light vinous notes. Average to medium bodied. Enjoyable, surprisingly only very slightly different from the non-barrel-aged version.

Recent bottle from the brewery’s store. Expected a lot, but the aging worked in reverse here. Muted biere de garde flavour, not getting any significant wine taste either. Aggressively carbonated.Still drinkable.

Pretty much the same are the regular Biere De Garde, except a few interesting differences. The color off the bat is a tad bit darker, the pour, and the head. The aroma is a little vinous, some distinct grapey, wine aromas from the barrel. There is a light earthiness, with some wood, inthe finish, with a little acidic touch. The barrel didnt totaly change the beer but added some subtle but still nice differences.

UPDATED: JUL 10, 2012 2012-07-06. Crisp orange amber body with a modest beige ehad. 3+ Modest aroma, fruity character has less noticable chardonnay character than I remember from the tap version but it comes out a bit more as it warms up. 7+ Flavour is similar, mild wine touches, malt and spice as in the base beer. Less woody and barrely that it was on tap, perhaps it was a touch warmer on tap? I find it more drinkable but less interesting than that sample. 7+ Average plus bodied palate. Not sure if I prefer the BA or regular version. 7/4/7+/3/15+ Bottle shared by GregClow.

2012-07-02. Hazy dark amber body with a modest beige head and lace. 3+ Flavour is fairly fruity up front, malty with dry toasty malt accents, a sharpness in the finish is a combination of alcohol and wood from the barrel. Nice fruity wine character goes past relatively brisking while wine barrel character lingers in the finish. Very light spice notes come out as the glass goes on. 7+ Aroma is quite interesting, fruit and wine melange is pleasant, muted wood character in the background, mild malt. 7+ Smooth average plus bodied plate has a soft yet effervescent carbonation that suits it rather well. 3+ The highlights are fantastic but I find that the barrel is prominent at times in a way that is both delightful and off-putting. I quite enjoy the wine character but the wood of the barrel is a bit much for my own tastes. Pretty solid stuff but I think the wood would keep me from enjoying more than a small glass of it in a sitting. 7/4/7/4/15 On tap at Bellwoods, Toronto

Pours a redish gold with some white head that dissipates quickly. Smell is a bit weak, or maybe just being drowned out by the roast corn, but I get some wine barrel along with a bit of earthy yeast and some definite barnyard. Palate is really nice with good thick body and average carbonation. Taste is great, a bit sweet, a bit sour, and a slight hoppy aftertase that rounds out nicely. Really interesting beer.

Pours with thick creamy head, clear amber in colour. Smells a little metallic with some sweet malt. Taste is soft on carbonation with an aftertaste that fills up the oak taste with a little barley bitter. There’s some saison-like yeast taste here reminiscent of some of Bellwood’s other lines. The beer grows on me as I drink it, but I think I actually liked the un-barrel aged Biere de Garde better. Maybe should have let it age for a while. Bottle from the first batch of this one at the brewery.

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